


The Gift

by KaylaMicael



Category: Animaniacs, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Brainwashing, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29832351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaylaMicael/pseuds/KaylaMicael
Summary: After retaking Warnerstock, the Warners are readjusting to life as royalty. But then an unforeseen event leaves them reeling, and with more questions than ever. The events that follow will test their small family more than anything else before, and may leave the middle sibling changed forever.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 28





	1. The Voice

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel of sorts to Wakko's Wish, combining elements from Frozen 2 and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Readers should imagine that the events of Unbreakable didn't happen... consider this a completely separate story in its own right. It's not completely written, but I'm working on it almost every day and will do my best to update annually. I plan to update every Tuesday, and if there will be any delays I'll let any readers know. Please review if you read, feedback is very important to me.

There were certainly many perks to being royalty, no doubt about it. For one thing, there was no chance of going hungry, which was one of the things Wakko was most grateful for. Even more than that, was the fact that they could actually do something to fix all the problems they had seen living on the streets. Wakko had very few memories of life in Warnerstock before Salazar’s invasion, but he could still tell that things were turning around already. Perhaps most of all, though, was that his siblings would always be with him and safe. He would always be grateful that that question no longer haunted him when he closed his eyes at night.

Which wasn’t to say there were some things that Wakko could do without… namely, the mind-numbingly boring lessons they had to sit through. Having spent a good part of their lives in an orphanage, and then on the street, the siblings’ education had been somewhat limited. To be fair, Wakko was well aware that there were some things they needed to know to be in charge of a kingdom, and he was perfectly willing to learn them. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be a drama queen about it, though.

He made a half-hearted effort to stifle a large yawn as the instructor droned on about economics, glancing at his siblings. It was somewhat gratifying to see that they both looked as bored as he was, and when he yawned Dot stifled a giggle while Yakko grinned and winked. Wakko grinned back, tongue sticking out.

“Ahem…”

All three made a show of snapping ramrod straight, looking as innocent as possible.

“My lords and lady, if you would care to pay attention…”

“Who, us?” Dot said, batting her eyes. “Why would we do anything else?”

Both her brothers snickered, and the instructor pinched the spot between his eyes, though Wakko was pretty sure he saw the hint of a smile. It was well-known that the siblings didn’t make things easy for the staff, but also generally understood that they didn’t mean any harm; being mischievous was simply their nature. They did their best to be nice to people and were only ever truly rude to someone if that person was rude to them or someone else.

“Unless you want me to start at the beginning…” the man said in a casual tone.

The siblings all immediately gave a jaunty salute.

“Pay attention, you got it,” Yakko said.

The instructor raised a brow, looking at each of them. When none of them said or did anything, he went on with that slight smile still on his face. They were a handful and they knew it, but they did their best to be nice handfuls. 

Wakko couldn’t help letting out a relieved sigh when the lesson was finally over… sitting through those were always a challenge for him.

Of course, lots of this stuff’s a challenge for me…

The thought was interrupted when Yakko spoke up, stretching his arms.

“Whew… glad that’s finally over. Well, we’ve got the rest of the afternoon, sibs. What ya wanna do?”

Wakko gasped and looked up at him with an eager expression.

“Can we go to the kitchen? Can we?”

Dot rolled her eyes.

“Is that all you ever wanna do?”

Wakko crossed his arms and frowned at her.

“I do other stuff too.”

Dot gave him a teasing look.

“Yeah, sure… wandering around and sleeping.”

Despite himself, Wakko felt his hackles rise just a little. He knew she was just teasing, and normally it didn’t bother him, but for some reason it did now. Apparently sensing the tension, Yakko spoke up.

“Okay, okay. How ‘bout this… we go prank a chef, and we can get ya a snack then?”

“Okay!” Dot said cheerfully. Wakko grinned and nodded, though he couldn’t completely stifle his irritation. Did they really think that was all he could do? 

_Is that all I can do?_

Pushing it down, he was about to follow his siblings when suddenly, he heard something… a voice, a faint voice that almost sounded like it was singing. He hesitated, wondering if he was just hearing things, but then it came again… louder, and singing the same melody.

Wakko looked around, pricking his ears as he tried to pinpoint where the sound had come from.

“Did you hear that?” 

He looked at his siblings, only to see them looking back at him with confusion.

“Hear what?” Yakko asked.

Wakko listened hard, but there was nothing. Finally, he shook it off and grinned at Yakko and Dot; he must have been hearing things after all.

“Nothing. Let’s go!” 

He raced after his siblings, pushing the odd occurrence out of his mind. It was nothing… nothing to bother them about.

Everything’s fine.

…

“How about this?”

Wakko let out a sigh as his sister held up yet another pink dress, and a glance at Yakko revealed that he was just as bored.

“Dot, you look pretty much the same in everything.”

The middle sibling immediately regretted his words as Dot glared at them.

“You two have no fashion sense at all.”

Yakko shrugged.

“We’re guys, sis… that stuff’s more your department.”

“Well, it has to be someone’s,” Dot huffed as she started gathering up the scattered clothes. “Image is important.”

Her brothers exchanged an amused look; they heard that from her a lot these days. But despite the amusement, Wakko couldn’t help feeling some trepidation too. Like so many things they had to do now, fancy parties were a challenge for him… it seemed like yet another thing his siblings were better at.

“Ask a maid what to wear,” he suggested. “That’s what I always do.”

Dot gave him a knowing smile.

“When you don’t ask me.”

Wakko returned her smile with a goofy grin.

“If I ask you, it’ll take all day.”

All three siblings started laughing, but at that moment, out of nowhere, the voice came again. It was clearer than ever, and still singing that same melody. Wakko froze, his eyes going wide as he looked around. His siblings’ laughter stopped too, and he realized they were looking at him with confusion.

“Wak, what’s wrong?” Yakko asked. The middle sibling looked between him and Dot in disbelief.

“You didn’t hear that?”

They looked at each other, then back at him.

“Didn’t hear what?” Dot asked. Wakko stared at her, completely bewildered and now a little scared. It had been so clear, they had to have heard it. Was this something only he was hearing? Wakko didn’t know much about how the mind worked, but he knew that hearing things no one else could wasn’t a good thing. His siblings’ confused looks began to change into concern and Yakko stood, walking up to Wakko and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Wakko, is everything okay?”

The middle sibling looked up at his brother; he always felt uneasy when he gave him that searching look, and there was a temptation to tell him everything. But what would his siblings say? Would they think he was crazy? Would they even believe him? Just as quickly as it came, the temptation to tell them faded. Even if they did believe him, it would just worry them. The thought of that was all it took to convince him to shrug it off and nod.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. I just thought I heard something, but it’s fine.”

His siblings looked anything but convinced, and the look on Yakko’s face was all too familiar… he knew something was wrong but hesitated to push for information. And Wakko knew better than anyone that once Yakko’s ‘big brother radar’ went off, he wasn’t going to just let it go. Even if he didn’t insist on being told right away, Wakko knew this wasn’t over by a long shot.

“Okay,” Yakko said slowly. “But if something’s bothering you, ya don’t have to keep it to yourself.”

Again Wakko felt a temptation to tell them, and again his instinct of keeping things to himself won out. He smiled at both his siblings and nodded.

“Yeah, I know.”

Dot walked over and gave him a hug as Yakko ruffled his cap and hair. Wakko’s smile widened as a sense of comfort filled him. As long as they were fine, he was fine. Whatever was going on, he would figure it out… like he always did.


	2. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite a small heart-to-heart, Yakko still suspects his brother is keeping something from him and Dot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very discouraged at the rather lackluster reception this story has had so far and am debating whether to continue it. If there's something I'm doing wrong, it would be nice to know what it is. Please leave a few words if you can.

An entire evening without hijinks… this was going to be so boring. Yakko ordered himself not yawn as he carried on yet another conversation about the weather. Making small talk with courtiers was something relatively new to him, to all of them, really. He had learned some etiquette in childhood, but his siblings had been so young. Their memories of life before their parents’ death were so few, and that was something Yakko always felt sad about. That was why they relied on him to tell them stories about their early lives; it was the best they could get.

When his conversation finally ended, Yakko scanned the room, looking for his siblings. He found Dot nearby, chatting with a few ladies, but Wakko was nowhere in sight. A slight frown came to Yakko’s face… he was well aware that of the three of them, Wakko was having the hardest time adjusting to their new lives. It wasn’t that he was unintelligent, both Yakko and Dot well knew that wasn’t the case, but things just came slower to him. And five years of keeping everything to himself certainly hadn’t done much for his confidence.

Yakko felt regrets about a lot of things in their previous lives, but one of the biggest was how often he had left his brother to handle things on his own. He knew Wakko wasn’t angry at him about it… he understood why it had happened that way. But that didn’t stop Yakko from being angry with himself. He began walking across the room, having a good idea of where Wakko was. When he felt uneasy about something, he would isolate himself to think. 

Sure enough, Yakko found the middle sibling on the outside balcony, leaning on the railing as he gazed out at the sky with a distant look. Like Yakko, he was in a formal blue and gold suit, but it seemed to sit more haphazardly on him. At first the sight was nothing new, but as Yakko approached he got a closer look at Wakko’s face. 

He looked more distant than usual… troubled, even. Come to think of it, he’d been a little off ever since that incident in Dot’s room. Yakko was sure something was bothering him but getting Wakko to admit something was wrong was like pulling teeth sometimes. Not talking about it wouldn’t do anything to fix the problem, but Yakko knew if he pushed too much his brother would shut down, and that wouldn’t get them anywhere either. 

A small grin on his face, Yakko leaned against the railing too. 

“Pondering the mysteries of the universe, sib?”

Wakko snapped out of his trance and looked at Yakko with a startled look. 

“How long have you…”

“Just got here,” Yakko replied, then raised his brows. “Not having fun?”

Wakko gave him a skeptical look.

“Are you?”

Yakko shrugged.

“Nah, not really.”

Wakko grinned for just a bit, then his face grew more solemn as he looked away again.

“You guys are always better at this kind of stuff.”

His voice was quiet, as if he was saying it more to himself than anyone else. Yakko cocked his head, the small frown back on his face.

“Is that what’s been bothering you? There’s plenty of stuff we’re not very good at, ya know.”

Wakko blinked and looked at Yakko, then sighed and looked away.

“No, that’s not it.”

_Okay, he’s admitting something’s bothering him… that’s a start._

Mentally crossing his fingers, Yakko pushed on.

“So, what is it?”

To his relief, Wakko didn’t immediately brush it off. He looked down for a moment or two, then looked up at Yakko again.

“There’s a…” His voice trailed off, and Yakko’s hope started to fall. But it returned when Wakko sighed and spoke again.

“I just… don’t wanna screw things up.”

Hearing that, sympathy filled the older brother; that was something he could very much relate to.

“What things?” he asked. “’Cause we think you’re doing pretty great, and I’m not just saying that ‘cause you’re our brother.”

Wakko looked at him, and Yakko was relieved to see his face was less troubled. Giving his brother another grin, he gave him a gentle nudge with his shoulder.

“And besides, even if we are doing something wrong, who cares? It’s probably just something the stuffy adults care too much about, and I think they need to lighten up way more than us.”

His grin widened when Wakko laughed. 

“Yeah… ya know, I think this is the first time I’ve laughed all night. Why do adults always wanna be so boring?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, brother sib.”

Both laughed, then fell silent for a few moments. Then Wakko spoke again in that quiet voice.

“I just wish…”

He trailed off again, and Yakko knew what he wanted to say. He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder with a sad smile.

“I wish Mom and Dad were here too.”

They stood in silence for a while, looking up at the emerging stars. Yakko couldn’t explain how, but he had a feeling there was still something else Wakko wasn’t telling him. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke again.

“Ya know, if there’s…”

“Hey, what’re you doing out here?”

Both Warner brothers turned to see Dot striding onto the balcony, looking at them with a frown.

“What’s the big idea, leaving me to work the room by myself?”

Yakko glanced at Wakko, but his expression had already turned into a sheepish smile, tongue hanging out. Despite his reluctance to just let it go, he smiled too and shrugged.

“Sorry, sis. Party getting slow?”

Dot scoffed.

“It was already slow.” 

She looked at Wakko, and Yakko saw a flash of concern on her face. He wondered if she had the same feeling he did, but she only shook her head and walked over to him with a teasing smile.

“Honestly,” she said, adjusting his crooked collar. “You’re hopeless.”

Yakko grinned, crossing his arms.

“Really? Mister ‘never give up hope’?”

Wakko’s smile grew wider, and there was no trace of the uncertainty Yakko had seen on his face when he first came out. He still had a feeling there was something they needed to address, but at least his brother was feeling better. And Yakko was sure that with time, he would start seeing himself the way other people saw him… as a brave, strong, and good person just as suited to be a leader as anyone else. Maybe zanier, but what did that matter? Zany was more fun.

“Well, then…” Yakko said, placing a hand on each of his siblings’ shoulders. “Shall we go do the less enjoyable part of our job?”

“The sooner we do it, the sooner it’ll be done,” Dot said with a grin. Wakko grinned too and nodded. As they headed back inside, Yakko gave his shoulder a pat. When Wakko looked at him, he gave him a look the middle sibling knew well.

_You okay?_

He got back a look he knew just as well.

_I’m fine._

As he put a smile on his face, Yakko still felt something nagging at him. He just couldn’t shake that feeling that Wakko hadn’t told him everything. And he wasn’t sure what bothered him more: that his brother might still feel like he couldn’t talk about it, or that he had gotten so good at acting fine when he wasn’t that they couldn’t tell anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving along on schedule so far... as I said before, I'll let everyone know if there's going to be a delay. Cheers, dear readers!


	3. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the mysterious voice, Wakko makes a surprising discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would update every Tuesday, but I decided to post a little earlier. So happy Saturday with a new chapter!

Dreamless sleeps weren’t completely unknown to Wakko, but it didn’t happen often. Still, that strange voice hadn’t bothered him for the rest of the night, and he was starting to feel cautiously reassured about the situation. It must have been just a weird stress thing. It wouldn’t happen again, except maybe when he was worked up about something. Yeah, that was it. But just then, out of the darkness…

Wakko’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up. Was he dreaming? He had to have been… it couldn’t be…

But it came again, and his heart sank. He wasn’t dreaming, and it wasn’t stress. It was that same voice, singing the same wordless melody. Grabbing a pillow, Wakko turned onto his stomach and pressed it over his ears. But the voice came again, just as loud as before. Clearly ignoring it wasn’t going to work.

_Okay, think… why would you be hearing a weird voice no one else can hear?_

There was the very real possibility that he was losing his mind, but was it possible there was another reason? And if there was, what was it? Slowly, Wakko pushed back the covers and slid out of bed. Whatever the reason was, there was no way he could keep it away from his siblings any longer. He had to tell them.

Wakko padded to the door and pushed it open. Their rooms were just down the hall, but before he could head that way, the voice came again. As if pulled by some invisible force, Wakko turned the other way and began walking with slow, hesitant steps. The voice came again… was it just him, or did it sound a little louder? He kept going, keeping his ears pricked. When it came again, definitely louder, he was in front of a pair of doors. Wakko turned toward them, and his heart gave an uneasy skip.

He’d only seen them once, but he recognized those doors. They led to their parents’ chambers. Wakko had never gone in there, never thought he could bring himself to go in there. Why would the weird voice be leading him here? Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out a hand and took hold of one of the knobs. 

For several moments, he just stood there, debating with himself. Was this really where the voice was leading him? What kind of answer could possibly be in there? As he stood, the voice came again, seeming to call him. Finally, Wakko took a deep breath and turned the knob. 

He looked around the sitting room as he stepped inside; even though no one occupied these rooms, they were clearly well-maintained. Something stirred in his mind as he slowly moved forward: faint, hazy memories of the whole family in here. Playing, reading stories… Wakko felt his throat tighten as his eyes grew moist and he closed them.

His mother’s soft voice singing as her hand stroked his head… his father smiling as he told them a story…

The voice came again, louder than ever, snapping Wakko out of his reverie. He turned in a circle, trying to pinpoint where it had come from. His eyes fell on a large bookshelf beside the large fireplace, unlit and cold. He walked toward it and stopped in front of it, scanning it up and down. Again the voice came, sounding almost like it was behind the bookcase.

How can it be coming from here?

Wakko began feeling around the shelves, unsure exactly what he was looking for. Then, as he ran his hand over the wood on the far right side, he felt something. It was the slightest indentation, one that would never be noticeable by sight. On a whim, he pushed on it. There was a faint clicking sound, and the right side of the bookshelf swung slightly open. Heart pounding with anticipation, Wakko pulled it open the rest of the way to reveal a doorway. After glancing behind him, he stepped inside.

The only light came from the open door, but despite the limited vision it was clear no one had been in this room for years, not even to clean. The faint light revealed a large desk near the far wall, and Wakko moved across to it, squinting to try and make out details. He could see books and papers on it, all covered with a layer of dust, but couldn’t read anything on them. He was completely confused now… why would their parents have a secret room? What did they have in here? 

Just then, the voice came again, louder than ever, and another faint light filtered through the gloom, seeping through the cracks of a drawer behind the desk. When he opened it, he found the source of the light: it was a four-sided amulet, glowing with soft white light, and carved in each corner were four diamond shapes, each one with a smaller symbol inside it. Eyes wide, Wakko slowly reached out and ran his fingers over the carvings, touching each of the diamonds in turn. 

The moment he touched the last one a warm, tingling sensation came from his hand as, faint but clear, a symbol shone on the back. Four diamonds, exactly like the amulet. 

Stunned, Wakko could only stare for a few moments. Then his shock was quickly replaced with alarm, and he yanked his hand back. Immediately, the symbol disappeared. Shoving the drawer shut, he bolted from the room, barely keeping enough presence of mind to pull the hidden door closed. Raking his fingers through his hair, he began pacing back and forth at a quick, frantic pace.

_Okay, okay… first I hear this weird voice, then I find a secret room with a glowing necklace and then my hand starts glowing… why was my hand glowing?!_

Up until tonight, Wakko had fully planned on keeping quiet about that voice, but now he was starting to get the distinct feeling that he was in way over his head. As much as he hated it, what just happened only confirmed what he had been thinking before… he couldn’t keep this secret anymore. Heart pounding, he rushed back out into the hall and back the way he’d come.

The first room he reached was his brother’s, and a sense of trepidation made him hesitate. What would he say? What would Dot say? Would they be mad? Well, Dot definitely would be… she didn’t like having secrets kept from her, particularly by her brothers. 

_Don’t be a baby… just do it._

Taking a deep breath, he reached out and pulled the door open.

…

He was right… Dot was mad. 

“Hang on! You’re telling us you’ve been hearing a weird, disembodied voice that no one else is and you didn’t say **_anything_**?!”

Wakko shifted on his feet, unable to look at her or Yakko.

“I… I didn’t wanna worry you.”

“Well, it’s kind of something we should be worried about, don’t ya think?!” his sister snapped. 

Wakko chanced a glance up at his siblings; it was no surprise that Dot looked furious, but it was the look on Yakko’s face that made him feel even worse. Far from being angry, he looked as worried as Wakko had ever seen him. Not only that, but he looked hurt. When he spoke his voice was low, with a seriousness that he very rarely expressed.

“How long has this been going on, Wakko?”

The middle sibling bit his lip and looked down again. 

“Well… I think since this morning,” he said softly, bracing himself.

“What?!” Dot still sounded mad, but he could catch an undercurrent of worry in her voice as well. He rushed on before she could continue.

“I thought it was nothing the first few times! I thought I was just hearing things! But when it kept happening, I just… I don’t know, I didn’t know what to say. I thought I could deal with it by myself.” 

He thought he saw Yakko flinch just a little at those words, but Dot spoke up before he could.

“Except you don’t have to!” She looked at him with that same hurt look. “We promised we wouldn’t keep secrets from each other anymore!”

Feeling even more ashamed now, Wakko dropped his gaze to his feet.

“I know, and I’m sorry… I should’ve said something sooner.”

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Yakko spoke, still using that quiet voice.

“It’s okay… you did still tell us.”

Wakko heard Dot let out a soft huff before she mumbled an agreement. After taking another moment to gather up the courage, the middle sibling spoke again.

“But… it’s not just the voice. Something else happened.”

With slow reluctance he told them everything he had experienced that night, from following the voice to finding the hidden room, from touching the amulet to the glowing symbol on his hand. When he finally finished, he took a moment to brace himself before looking up again. As he expected, both his siblings looked stunned. 

“So…” Dot said slowly. “Do you think… Mom and Dad knew?”

Yakko frowned, clearly just as troubled at the thought as his siblings were.

“If it was in their room, they might have.” He bit his lip before speaking again. “Maybe if we check it out, something’ll tell us what all this means.”

Wakko and Dot looked at each other, then back at their older brother. All three read each other’s looks and came to a silent agreement. Yakko and Dot stood, and they all headed to the door… it wasn’t as if any of them were going to be able to sleep now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story isn't fully written out, so I'm not entirely sure what the best way to publish it is. So I guess you the readers are the best ones to ask... would you prefer I update on Tuesdays, like I originally said, or just as the chapters are finished?


	4. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings discover a heartbreaking truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to stick with releasing a new chapter every Tuesday. I'm sticking to a strict schedule for writing this, so I should be able to keep updates regular.

Yakko couldn’t say he was surprised to learn his brother had been keeping something to himself… he’d suspected it all along. He certainly didn’t expect it to be something like this, though. And despite himself, he couldn’t help feeling hurt. How long would Wakko have been willing to keep quiet about this? Didn’t he trust them? 

_Didn’t he trust me?_

He quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind, feeling even more guilty than before.

_Knock it off! This isn’t about you._

The light from the lantern he was holding was just enough to illuminate the small space as he and his siblings stepped inside. Wakko pointed at the desk.

“That’s where everything was,” he said softly. He lagged behind as Yakko and Dot walked over to it. Setting the lantern down, Yakko scanned the collection of books and papers. Dot climbed up on the chair behind the desk and opened the drawer, lifting out the amulet and holding it up to the light. Yakko moved to get a look too, squinting at the strange symbols. Soft footsteps made him look up to see Wakko approaching slowly. Looking hesitant, he reached out with his right hand. As soon as he touched the amulet, the same symbol shone on his hand.

“I don’t know what it means,” he said in the same quiet voice.

Yakko exchanged a glance with Dot and saw the same confusion on her face, along with considerable unease. After a moment, his sister picked up one of the larger books and began slowly flipping through it. Yakko scanned the papers on the desk, until one caught his eye. The same symbol was drawn on it, with some writing in the upper right corner. Picking it up, he blew the dust off and his eyes widened. Wakko moved up beside him, trying to get a look at it.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know, but look,” Yakko said, turning it toward his brother and pointing at the corner. “That’s Mom’s writing.”

Wakko’s eyes widened too, moving back and forth as he read.

“’Symbols appeared at birth… magic source…’” His eyes grew even wider, and his voice quivered a little. “’Wakko’s source.’”

Yakko’s eyes grew just as wide as he scanned the words himself. 

“They did know.”

Dot spoke up then, setting the book on the desk.

“This talks about that symbol.” 

Yakko and Wakko moved over to the desk, leaning in to look themselves. Their sister pointed at a page. Yakko frowned as his eyes moved over the page, reading the words out loud.

“’Each symbol represents the spirits of the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. Anyone who is born with the Gift carries it, along with the ability to master all four.’”

His voice trailed off in disbelief, and Dot sounded just as stunned when she spoke.

“So, the spirits are real?”

Yakko had heard stories about the elemental spirits too, mainly from their parents as a child, but he always thought they were just that: stories. Magic was so rare… he never would have imagined someone in his family might have it.

A soft exhale made him stop to look at Wakko. The middle sibling was staring at the ground, lifting a hand to his head. His face was blank with shock.

“So… I can do that?” He looked at both his siblings. “But… they never told me.”

Yakko reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“They didn’t tell me either.”

Along with his confusion, he couldn’t help but feel a little angry with their parents. How could they keep something like this from them, especially from Wakko? 

But he tried to think logically about it; Wakko had been so little and might not have understood even if they did tell him. Still, he couldn’t stop wondering… would they have ever told them, if they were still here? There was just no way to know.

Dot, meanwhile, had started looking through the other papers on the desk. A frown creased her face as she picked up several. As she slowly shuffled through them, her eyes widened.

“Sis?” Yakko asked, walking over to her. “What’re those?”

Dot bit her lip.

“They’re letters… from Salazar,” she said hesitantly, glancing at Wakko. Seeing the concern in her eyes, Yakko took the papers and scanned them himself. As he read, first a sense of shock, then a sick feeling rose in him. The first few letters were somewhat courteous, making seemingly casual inquiries about rumors of a Gifted member of the Warnerstock royal family. But the letters grew less and less polite, and the last few were little more than outright threats. Wakko’s quiet, uneasy voice broke the tense silence.

“W-what? What do they say?”

Yakko looked at Dot, who looked just as conflicted as he felt. He had promised he would never lie to his siblings, but this made him seriously consider breaking his promise. It would kill Wakko to know the truth. But he would also probably suspect he was being lied to, and since he had already told them the truth he would certainly want to be shown the same respect. Finally, Yakko let out a quiet sigh and hoped he wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake. 

“He’s asking Mom and Dad if there’s really someone with the Gift in our family.”

Wakko’s eyes widened again, a look of foreboding already on his face. Yakko took a deep breath and forced himself to continue.

“Then he… he starts threatening them.”

He could see his brother’s look slowly change, as he connected the dots, from fear to utter devastation. He began backing away, hugging himself.

“No… no, no, no…” 

Yakko took a step toward him, intending to try and comfort him. But before he could say anything Wakko let out a strangled gasp and whirled around, running from the room. 

“Wakko!”

Yakko immediately dropped the letters and raced after his brother, hearing Dot jump down from the chair and follow. Outside, Wakko was on the sofa, knees drawn up and his head buried in his arms as his shoulders shook. Yakko’s throat tightened as he heard the middle sibling’s quiet sobs. Swallowing hard, he walked over and sat down beside him, placing a hand on his back.

“Hey,” he said gently. His brother tensed, then curled up tighter.

“It was all my fault,” he croaked. “He invaded because he was looking for me.”

Yakko glanced at Dot, who sat down on Wakko’s other side with a grieved expression and wrapped her arms around him.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said, unable to keep her voice from quivering. Yakko looked back at Wakko and rubbed his back.

“She’s right, Wak. You’re not responsible for his choice.” 

The middle sibling sniffled, and his voice was bitter when he spoke.

“No… just for Mum and Dad and every other awful thing he did to everyone here. He never would’ve come if I wasn’t…”

“Stop,” Yakko said in a firm voice. At that, Wakko finally lifted his head, looking at him with wide, tear-filled eyes.

“You don’t know he never would’ve come,” the eldest Warner said. “You know what he’s like… he probably would’ve eventually invaded even if you weren’t Gifted.”

He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“Either way, it was out of your control.”

“Yeah,” Dot said, her voice gentle and no longer quivering. “If it was me or Yakko, you wouldn’t blame us, right?”

Wakko immediately shook his head, and she smiled.

“Well, there ya go. If you wouldn’t blame us, why blame yourself?”

Her immediate older brother shifted in his seat, looking down.

“I know you feel guilty,” Dot went on. “I know you want to blame yourself… it’s what you do. But we don’t. We don’t blame you for any of it, and we never will. If you had the chance, you’d have stopped it all. And that’s all that matters.”

Yakko grinned.

“Wow, Dot. Sometimes you do know what to say.”

His sister gave him an indignant look.

“What do you mean, sometimes? I just can’t always get a word in with you yakking all the time.”

That finally got a weak chuckle out of their brother.

“She’s right, y’ know,” he said hoarsely.

Yakko chuckled too and gave his back a gentle pat.

“There ya go. But she’s right… you don’t have to feel bad, because it’s not your fault.”

Wakko sniffled again, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

“But… I…”

“No buts,” Yakko said. “It’s not.”

Both him and Dot wrapped the middle sibling in a hug, and after a moment he nestled into it. Yakko smiled, but still felt a profound sadness. He couldn’t imagine how his brother must be feeling, and he could only hope that the hurt didn’t go so deep that it couldn’t be healed. Otherwise, he didn’t know if he would ever forgive himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter wasn't too intense... considering it gets even more intense later. As for what happens, well, you'll have to keep reading to find out!

**Author's Note:**

> And that ends the first chapter of this new work. As I asked before, please leave a review if you read, reviews make me happy and a happy writer is a productive writer. Cheers, and see you next week!


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